Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Yaaaaaay! I made a pdf for this teapot pattern!You can download it from here.

If you're an experienced quilter, you can probablyfigure out how to make this patchwork block almostinstantaneously, but if you are sort of a beginnerseamstress like me, you might find it helpful if I show you how I make this teapot patchwork block from the first step to the end, so here comesthe instruction of how I do it along with a bunch of photos.

Cut out the pattern from the pdf printout.(I recommend you enlarge the pattern, because it's toosmall as it is, but here I am using the pattern of the original size.)

Cut it into pieces along the lines.

Using a small piece of double-sided tape, attacheach piece onto the right side (not shiny side) offreezer paper, making sure there is plenty of space between the pieces. (The layout shown in thispicture isn't a great example. I figured later that I needed more space between each of them.)

Using a ruler, add seam allowances of 1/4".(Throughout the process, the seam allowance is 1/4".)Also, make sure to name all the pieces so thatyou'll know which one goes where in what way.

Take off the original pieces of the pattern andName the new freezer paper pieces. You can discard the original paper pieces now.

Cut out the pieces of the freezer paper.There should be 13 pieces total.

Let's make the funnest part - the main teapot body.I really don't care the height of those two piecesfor the teapot base. Here I cut out them that measure about 1" x 5".

Sew them together and press seam open.(Pressing after every time you sew each line will really help you work on this project easier).

Place the freezer paper pattern on the RIGHTside of the fabric and press on it to attach the pattern to the fabric temporarily. (Remember to always do this on the RIGHT side of the fabric!!)

Cut out the teapot body along the pattern edges.and peel off the pattern! (This freezer paper pattern is reusable for many many times!)

Using the same technique, cut out other pieces too.

Yay! 13 pieces done! I know it's tempting to peel thepatterns off at this moment, but I strongly recommend you don't.It will be helpful if you peel it off right before sewing the piece so that you'll know which piece goes where.

I always start off with the left side of the backgroundnext to the teapot, because I can't wait to attach a spouton it. Oh, I also make sure that the fabric for the backgroundis very different from the teapot color to make the teapot stand out. I also choose background fabric that is either solids like linen with no print on it or small polka dots.Otherwise, the background would get too busy.

Sew, Press seam open, and sew the next one....

When the three pieces are together, it's timeto sew it to the main teapot!

Yaaaay! Now let's attach the right side of the background too!

Then I usually sew these three pieces next.

It took me a while to learn how to put fabric together when the pieces are triangle.Simple. Just make sure the end of the lineyou draw merges with the edge of the fabric underneath it.

After the main part of the lid is complete,I sew together the three pieces on the main lid.If you enlarged the pattern in the first place,you'd work on this part of process peacefully,but if you didn't, then you'd have a littletough time just like I did. The top lid is obnoxiously tiny!!

Oops, the top lid became a little narrower than it's supposed to.. but I don't care about it that much.

It's always hard to press seam open here,so for this part, I iron it to just one side.

I forgot to mention about this very last piece that comes between the main teapot and its lid. It's getsreally long when you add seam allowance to the originalpattern, so make sure to cut off some part of the narrow angle. With the original pattern, this piece needsto be just a little over 5" width.

Attach the two now and your teapot is complete! Hooray!

If you don't like the uneven edges, just cut off ;)

It's fun and quite addictive to make the teapots!

I hope you'll come up with many different sewing projects using this pattern and share with us inthis flickr group. I'm already dying to see whatyou create, so hurry up and make some please!!! ;)

Great Tutorial! Thank you for sharing this. I have linked to it on my blog and I included a picture from your blog (with many links back to you, of course!) I hope this is okay! I just wanted to share this with everyone!

Thanks so much for the great pattern! Your work is always so beautiful! I definitely have your other projects on my to do list. This one though is destined to be a very cute tea cozy for my mother in laws birthday! :)

I love it. It is beautiful, wonderful and so whimisical. However, I couldn't download the pattern, the site wouldn't work. It said something about exceeded bandwidth. I'll check back later and maybe it will be working. Thanks so much. How sweet of you.

Thanks everyone! I really hope to see you what you make with this teapot pattern!

Nanette, Thanks a lot for letting me know about the initial pdf link not working. I couldn't view the pdf neither, so I added another link using the different web hosting, but this one is in black and white ;(I'll figure out this problem.. Thanks!

this is my first visit to your blog!You are one clever cookie!!..lol..Thank you so much for the pattern and tutorial!..I'm new to quilting and piecing projects and this one is marvelous!! I have posted about it on my blog!thanks again!!blessings,Kristine ;-)

Thank you for the 2nd link. It worked. I just printed it out. I'm excited to try it and I may even do it tonight! If I can steal an hour and I plan to try. I'll let you know how it goes and post the block on my blog. Thank you again. I love this.

How have I waited for this one...How many times can I say thank you, but thank you again for this wonderful explanation and the tutorial for these teapots. I will defiantely make something wonderful for my girls now. Can't wait for your next creative idea.:)

Northwest Iowa mom & Candied Fabrics-Thanks for sharing the great idea: paper piecing! It was completely new to me. I googled it and learned a little about it, but it looked really complicated.. maybe I need to try first if you guys think this way might be easier.. Thanks ;)!!

Once again you've outdone yourself with another well written tutorial for a great little pattern. Has anyone told you that you're brilliant & very generous to to this. I like Jill's suggestion of making it a tea cozy, especially for my MIL. Can't wait to see what others do.

Thanks for sharing the paper piecing method. I tried something different and it didn't work out as nicely. Wehn I looked in books I found different methods. Your way looks like it would save a lot of fabric.

Thanks so much everyone! If you make one, let me know! I'd love to see!

Marilynn-Making a quilt sounds great, but I don't have any other quilting patterns besides this. Check out my blog friend Stephanie's blog. She has lots of information regarding teapot-related projects!http://loftcreations.blogspot.com/2009/01/tea-talk-tuesday.html

Greetings from Australia!I was guided to your blog from the Quilters Quarters Newlsetter,and have just spent a large part of the afternoon reading your tutorials. Great work, they are so easy to follow, and the designs are lovely. Could I suggest that you draw the pattern straight onto the freezer paper? It would cut out one fiddly step.

This is fabulous I am working on making a quilt right now that is made with my old fastpitch t-shirts. I think that maybe I'll try the teapot pattern next thank you for the instructions. merrisue67@gmail.com

One of the more impressive blogs Ive seen. Thanks so much for keeping the internet classy for a change. You've got style, class, bravado. I mean it. Please keep it up because without the internet is definitely lacking in intelligence.

Hi, when I saw your tea pot, I fell in love with it!! I made two of them. the first one was a "mirror" image of what you show. the 2nd one turned out right. thou, I did have problems making them, I will try to make a 3rd one, and who knows how many more?? Thank-You for the tea pot!! It was kind of you to share...

Thanks for the pattern! I made one of thouse tea pots and I'm definetly going to make some more as I totally fell in love with them! They are so easy and fun to make! Here is my first try: http://crochetomania.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/brighten-up-day.html

Thanks for stopping by my blog! My name is Ayumi. I love sharing my crafty journal and other little anecdotes in my life here. I am a mother to a baby girl and a wife to my husband from Seattle. We live in a small apartment in Tokyo. I hope you enjoy being here :) Welcome♪